How to Know Your Limits When Betting on Slots

Betting on the slots is great fun. Bright colors, peppy music and the ding ding ding of a win-all contribute to the excitement. It's important, however, to be conscientious about setting limits on your gambling and sticking to those limits.

Things You'll Need

• Account to play at an online casino
• Computer with Internet access to play online
• Cash to play at a land-based casino

Instructions

1. Know before you step into a casino how much you want to bet during each session. Consider how long you'll be staying and how many times you'll play. Set an amount for the entire visit and divide it into limits for each session.

2. Set a limit for the machine as well. If you play five times without a payoff, change machines. Since slots are ruled by an RMG (Random Number Generator), your chances of winning do not increase when the machine hasn't paid off in a while.

3. Decide ahead of time how much is enough. When you've won that amount, which many people define as doubling their money, quit. Don't get greedy when you're winning, or you're likely to give it all back and more.

4. Take only the amount of money you've decided to gamble when you go into the casino. The casino makes it very easy for you to get more money to gamble with. Leave your checkbook or bank card in your room or locked in your car.

5. Quit betting the moment you're not having fun. If you begin to get frustrated or irritated because you aren't winning, it's time to take a break, even if you have money left in your stake. Come back later and you're more likely to win.

Tips & Warnings

• There's a good reason why land-based casinos are willing to give you all the beer or liquor you want while you're playing the slots. They know you're more likely to keep spending when you're drinking. Enjoy you alcoholic beverages after you've finished playing. The drinks you pay for are a lot cheaper in the long run than the drinks you get for free!

• If you're losing your stake too quickly, play fewer credits per pull or switch to a machine with a lower denomination.

• If you have trouble sticking to the limits you set for yourself, consider whether you might have a gambling addiction. Go to the Gamblers Anonymous website and answer their 20 questions to find out (see Resources below).

Resources

• 20 questions at Gamblers Anonymous